Trail Head
by Stargate Fan
Summary: Some of these events actually happened to my husband and others when they climbed Mt. Evans and Pike's Peak. I combined their experiences for this story. Reviews are welcome!


When Daniel found that he had a 2 week hiatus from the SGC for maintenance on the gate and upgrades for all the computers, he wondered what he would do with his time off. He could go and visit friends but he didn't feel like traveling as he did so much of that on his job. Maybe he could catch up on some DVD's at the rental store that he had wanted to watch but hadn't had a chance to. Or he could just lie around and get caught up on some of his reading. He kinda felt adrift and bored with nothing to do. He was ordered to stay off the base by General Landry because Landry thought he worked too much, and he was probably right about that, but Daniel really liked his work. He had told Vala that it was what he did for fun and he meant it. Digging into artifacts and ancient texts was a real joy for him. He loved unlocking the secrets they held and was thrilled every time he finished translating a particularly difficult piece. It's what got him started in the first place and it was in his blood. He was born in Egypt and his parents took him to all the digs they went on and gave him his own set of tools when he was five years old. He had always had that itch and hoped it never went away.

This morning, after returning from his 5 mile run, he showered and changed his clothes and got the coffee maker started. He didn't feel like shaving today so he let it go. Who was going to care anyway? He was on leave and could do what he wanted. If only he could figure out what he wanted to do.

He grabbed his mug of coffee and the latest copy of Archeology Today and headed out to his back deck. This house was so much nicer than the apartment he'd had for years. His back yard was surrounded by a privacy fence and it had lots of ornamental trees and flowers around. It looked a lot like a park and he loved sitting back and relaxing in the solitude and looking at the Rocky Mountains. The morning air was cool but not uncomfortably so. Most nights were cool, even in early September when the days could still get blistering hot. It made for good sleeping weather. The sun was well up now and most of the neighbors had already left for work.

Around 8:30, Sam called and wanted to know if she could stop by. She had an idea and wanted to talk to him about it. He told her he'd be waiting for her and to come around to the gate by the driveway. He'd be on the deck and glad to see her.

Twenty minutes later, her Volvo pulled up and she came around the corner of the house looking as pretty as ever. He never asked her why things didn't work out with Pete but that guy was sure losing out. It was a tough time for her with that and her dad dying and all. Jacob was a great guy and they all missed him. Daniel usually could talk to Sam about anything and she knew that whatever she talked about with him didn't go anywhere else. He didn't gossip or tell anyone her problems. So, when she didn't tell him about what happened with Pete, he knew that she must have had some good reasons. He could wait. Maybe that was why she was here this morning.

He had the mug and a carafe full of coffee waiting for her and she smiled at him and marveled at how he always was such a gentleman. Always willing to pitch in and help with whatever was needed, be it yard work, helping somebody move, lab work, etc. He rarely said 'no' when help was requested and he was such a fine person all around. He was always very generous with his time and things. They had a solid friendship and sometimes she wondered if maybe there could have ever been more had circumstances in their pasts been different. Daniel would make some lucky woman a great catch someday.

"Hey Sam, what's up? You don't usually call this early." He poured her a mug of coffee and handed it to her. It smelled great and she took a sip and then set it on the table.

"I was wondering if you wanted to join me on a hike up Mt. Evans sometime next week. We could get Teal'c and Cam to go along and Major Trautman said he knew some of the places up there where the view was spectacular and he is willing to lead us up. Jack is scheduled to be in town and we could ask him, too." She looked pretty excited about it but he wasn't sure it was something he wanted to do. He was in good shape but he wasn't much for mountain climbing.

She went on, "The trail isn't too hard. I climbed Pike's Peak last summer so I know what I'm doing. And you can drive up and leave your car at the top in the parking lot and I'll follow you up and give you a ride down so that when we finish the climb you can drive us down. It'll take most of the day to climb but we can pick a nice day where the weather is expected to be good. We're always off world, Daniel. It makes me appreciate what we have here on earth so much more when I take the time to do things like this. Brian said he could show us some places where we can see some really beautiful wildlife and the weather is a lot cooler up there. This heat lately has been getting to me. I like being outdoors but when it's this hot, it's too much, and we end up staying inside in the air conditioning. Wouldn't it be nice to spend a quiet day outdoors in pleasant weather for a change?"

"Brian?" Daniel looked at her with a grin seeing if he could make her blush.

She didn't and she laughed and said, "We're not involved, Daniel. He heard me talking about it with Cam and said he'd be glad to lead a team up. Some of the other SGC members might even be willing to go. What do you think?"

"Well, when you put it like that, it sounds like it might be fun," Daniel replied. He actually had once wondered what the view was like from up there but he was always too busy to take the time for the drive up.

They spent the rest of the morning talking about the hike and then about how things were with her latest project in the lab. Daniel could see that she was relaxed and he enjoyed watching her talk. Her face seemed to shine.

She stayed for lunch and then headed back home. She had some calls to make about the hike and then some errands to run.

Daniel went back to the deck and enjoyed the afternoon sun and the view of the mountains. The temperature was warm but he didn't mind. He was used to heat from all the years living in Egypt on the digs he'd been on. He opened the umbrella over the table, settled in the shade and fell asleep on the lounge chair.

The day they settled on for the hike dawned a week later and the forecast said that they only had a 30 chance of rain. Daniel drove to Sam's house and helped her load her gear into the back of his Jeep Liberty. They planned on meeting Jack, Teal'c, Brian and Cam at the trail head around 7. It would take a while to drive up to Evans so they chatted on the way about what to expect. It was supposed to get to about 95° by lunchtime so it looked like a good day to go. By afternoon, they would be well up on the mountain where it should be cooler. Mt. Evans was a 14,000 footer. There are people he knew that tried to climb all those peaks 14,000 feet our higher in Colorado. Evans was not too particularly tough, according to Sam. They had to take plenty of water and she also packed some things that she usually took on her trips off world. Moleskin for blisters, a first aid kit, drop cloths, and a down sleeping bag which was surprisingly compact, stuffed into what looked like a sausage casing. She brought her med kit from work, ready for any injury she could think of. She always tried to be prepared. It must have been all those times off world when they got stranded that made her so quick to make sure she had everything, including the proverbial kitchen sink. They knew enough by now that you can get snow in the mountains in almost any month of the year. Even though the forecast said clear weather, be prepared now instead of sorry later.

She insisted that Daniel pack the same, which also included a rain poncho, extra eyeglasses, sun screen, and dry clothes. Especially wool socks, jeans and a jacket. The weather could change and they had to be ready for it.

They reached the trail head first so Sam asked some tourists if they would take their picture with Sam's digital camera. She wanted a picture for her scrapbook and promised to give one to Daniel. Soon, the rest of the guys arrived and Daniel and Jack drove their vehicles up to the top. Daniel parked his Jeep and got into Jack's pickup and they headed back down. Upon reaching the previous destination, they stepped out and grabbed their backpacks they'd left with their team. Brian pulled up in his Bronco and soon everyone was ready so they headed out. Jack and Brian paired off and talked about fishing, trying to outdo each other with stories of the biggest fish they'd ever caught. Jack wasn't much of a hunter but he listened to Brian as he told stories about game he'd bagged and then about the lakes and streams around Colorado Springs where the fishing was pretty good. That peaked Jack's interest and soon they were chatting about fly fishing and how to tie certain flies.

Cam and Teal'c were together talking about aircraft. Teal'c had never flown an earth craft but he knew enough about aeronautics to understand Cam's passion for flying. He told Cam about the different ships he'd flown and they discussed the differences and similarities in each kind.

And that left Daniel and Sam. Sam occasionally took pictures and seemed to be enjoying the view. Daniel was wrapped up in his own thoughts at times and wondered if he could get Sam to open up a bit about Pete. Maybe they could hang back a bit later and she'd feel free to talk. For now, they chatted a bit about Cassie, who was away at college at the U of M in Ann Arbor, Michigan. It was a long way from home but Cassie had been offered a full ride so she gladly took it. Daniel had flown there with Cassie and made sure she was settled before flying back.

They stopped for a break around 10:30. There was a quiet place just off the trail where they all dropped their gear and sat down on the ground or on a fallen log. Each had their own preferred snack item. Sam had dry granola. Jack had trail mix. Daniel had the always ever present candy bar (of course), Cam and Brian both had energy bars and Teal'c had a small bag of peanut M&M's. They chatted a bit about the local wildlife and Brian said he knew a spot not too far ahead where you could see elk grazing in a meadow. If they were lucky, they might spot some. They packed up their wrappers and headed back to the trail. About a half hour up, they came to a stop and looked out over the vista. True enough, there were elk down in a grassy meadow, just like Brian promised. And to their right, up on another slope, they could just make out some big horn sheep. Sam sighed. This was just what she needed. It was so different from her everyday life. A few more minutes found them on the trail again. Teal'c was paired up with Sam, Jack with Daniel, and Cam with Brian. Around noon, they stopped again for a water break and lunch.

Jack looked at the people around him. Daniel was quiet today but sometimes he just was, depending on a myriad of topics that were running laps around in his brain. Teal'c seemed a bit more outgoing today, more open and talkative. That's something he's rarely seen. Sam was pleasant as usual but he could see clouds in her eyes. She must still be hurting because of losing her dad not too long ago and her breakup with Pete. And Cameron, the new team leader seemed comfortable in his spot but he had to wonder if Cam felt he fit in yet. It may take time. Jack had a strange feeling. He didn't belong to this group any longer and it brought on a sense of grief and loss. He had worried over his team for 8 years and it was hard to move on and leave them behind. It felt good to see them again but he was also sad, if truth be told.

Brian told them that he knew of a possible short cut coming up that shouldn't be too difficult, if anyone was game to try. Jack and Teal'c weren't for it. They said the known trail was the safest and they'd stick with it. Cam said he thought that was wise. But Sam wanted to give it a try, and Daniel, being protective of Sam lately, decided to stick with her. They came to the spot where Brian thought they should split and they separated with calls to meet at the top. Brian thought they would beat the other team there and told them so, but Jack looked like he had his doubts.

"Jack, if this doesn't look like it'll work, we'll turn back and follow you guys," Sam called.

"Just don't let Daniel get hurt! You know how he is," Jack called back and then disappeared around a bend.

"Hey, I resent that," Daniel said with a grin. "Not every accident I've had has been my fault!"

Brian looked to Sam for an explanation and she started relating, mostly in order, the times Daniel had ended up in the infirmary. Brian looked back at Daniel and said with a grin, "Okay Fumbelfoot, make sure you don't have any accidents today, okay?" and then he laughed.

Daniel assured them that he would pay attention to his surroundings and try to behave. Man! Sometimes they treated him like he was 5 years old. When were they going to accept that he didn't constantly need watching? Oh well, he knew it was because they cared. 'Lighten up, Danny,' he told himself.

They chatted a bit for the next 2 hours before Sam noticed that this wasn't an established trail they were on. It looked like it had been used by mule deer or big horn sheep, maybe, but not by people. What had been a trail in the beginning was now lost in the trees and rocks.

"Brian, are you sure about this?" Sam sounded very doubtful.

"Well, I've hunted and hiked up here so many times that I'm pretty sure there has to be a ridge west of the peak that gradually leads to the tree line. It's not on the topographical map but I think it's there."

"Wait a minute! What do you mean it's not on the map? You 'think' it's there?" Daniel was clearly upset with the current unsettling events and didn't like that sixth sense he was getting that they'd made a bad mistake. First Brian said he knew of a path and it sounded good at the time, and he thought Brian was very sure about this. Now he finds out that Brian's not very sure at all?

Brian told them that the short cut should be coming up pretty soon and they'd see he was right. As they turned around a bend in the trail they came out above the tree line and the view opened up to a spectacular sight! They could see across the trees into the mountain range to the west of Evans and it looked like something out of a post card.

They were all breathing hard and Daniel noticed he had quite a headache all of a sudden and was nauseated. They moved along and Brian led them a few more yards up the trail and then stopped. The trail ended at a drop into a valley. There was no short cut!

"I was positive it was here!" Brian exclaimed. "I've been up here so many times that I was sure. Oh man. I'm sorry you two. I've gotten us into a real mess."

"Okay, let's think about this," Sam said. "Can't we just turn around?"

"Well, we've come quite a ways up, Sam. I think our best bet is to go forward and then come up the other side. If we turn around we'll never make it to the top before dark."

Daniel groaned and then turned around and threw up next to the trail behind him. This wasn't good. Sam looked into his face and noticed that he'd broken out in a sweat and he was very pale. His hands were also shaking badly.

"Okay, lets rest a few minutes and then we'll head down," Sam advised.

Daniel was very glad to stop and sit down. After a few minutes, he started to feel better and told them that maybe they'd better get going. It was already mid afternoon and they had quite a ways to go. It wouldn't get dark until almost 8 and if they moved along, they should make it all right.

Sam agreed and they took off. It wasn't long before Daniel started to feel sick again but he kept quiet about it. They really couldn't afford to stop.

It didn't take too long before they were at the bottom of the valley and Brian was looking for a path up. Daniel sat down and noticed that his headache was a little better and his stomach felt better. So, this is what altitude sickness is. He could have done without this particular object lesson.

Brian soon found what he thought was the best way up and they headed out.

Jack, Cameron and Teal'c were moving along and enjoying the view. Teal'c had seen a lot of places off world but had never really gotten to view much of earth. He was enjoying the experience immensely. They stopped after a bit to rest and got some warmer clothes out of their packs and put them on. Jack felt a bit worried about the other team and where they might be at the moment. He knew that Brian had a good reputation as a outdoorsman but something just didn't feel right. Cam must have been reading his mind because he asked, "Do you think they're okay?"

Jack frowned and wasn't sure how to answer. His gut feeling was saying, 'no,' but he didn't want to jinx anyone by saying so. They could see a storm approaching from the west and the wind was picking up. Jack wondered how bad things were going to get.

Teal'c said, "Major Trautman seems like he knows his way around. I'm sure he would not willingly lead Colonel Carter or Daniel Jackson into danger."

"Let's hope not," interjected Cam. "We don't know our way around these parts as much as he supposedly does so I wouldn't know where to begin to search for them."

"Okay, well let's get going. I estimate we still have a couple of hours to go before we get above the tree line, and I want to get off this mountain before the weather gets really bad," Jack said and with that, they continued.

It was a rough go, but eventually Sam, Daniel and Brian made it back above the trees and could see rocks ahead. Brian looked at his watch and said, "They others should already be up to the parking lot. We don't have far to go now. Maybe another 2 hours." They continued on for another hour and stopped.

Daniel looked absolutely green. His head was pounding and he just wanted to stop. "You know," he said as he laid down on top of a big rock, "this wouldn't be such a bad place to die, if we could die before it got cold."

Sam looked over to him and worried. Daniel didn't normally complain much so he must be feeling pretty bad to express those kind of thoughts. Usually you had to pry it out of him if he didn't feel well.

Brian apologized. "I'm sorry. This is all my fault. If we'd stayed on the regular trail, we'd be done by now. We still have a ways to go and you two look exhausted."

"Got it in one," Daniel said with a sigh. He was more than willing to let Brian take the blame on this one.

Sam got up to walk over to the edge of the rocks and looked out. "It's really quite pretty here. But it looks like it might rain soon, so maybe we better get going."

Daniel looked over to see where she was indicating and noticed that the sky behind them was dark purple. At that moment, they could hear thunder in the distance and he scrambled to his feet. Sam turned around to say something and all of a sudden, she disappeared. Daniel screamed her name and ran to where she had been standing and noticed that the rocks had given out from under her feet. She'd dropped over the side about 10 feet down and was sitting on a ledge.

"Sam! Are you okay?"

Brian came up behind him and looked over the side. "Is she hurt?"

"I don't know. Sam! Please, talk to me!" Daniel cried out. The storm was quickly approaching and lightning was flashing. The wind picked up and he saw her raise her face up to him to say something but he couldn't hear her because of a very loud clap of thunder, which cause Daniel to hit the ground.

"I'm going to go down and help her get back up. Do you have any rope?" Daniel asked.

"Yeah, in my pack. Let me get it." Brian dropped his pack and went through the side pocket and handed Daniel a nylon rope. "I'll tie the end around a boulder."

Daniel waited and then repelled the short distance down to Sam. "Sam, let me look at you. Are you okay?" he asked as he held her shoulder.

"No, I think I broke my ankle, Daniel. You're gonna have to help me up."

Sam was in a lot of pain and it was hard for her to talk.

"Okay, Brian tied off the rope and he'll pull from the top when we're ready. Put your good foot in my hands and I'll boost you up." She did as he asked but her vision started to go black and the pain was excruciating. As Brian pulled on the rope, Daniel supported her along the rock so that she wouldn't slip back down and before long both Sam and Daniel were back at the top. Sam was gasping from the pain and covered in sweat. They realized that they weren't going to be able to move her.

Daniel decided to call up to Jack and get help but when he checked his cell phone he found he couldn't get a signal. The battery must be dead. Brian said that he never carried a cell phone. Great! Daniel checked Sam's phone clip on her waist and saw that her phone was gone. It must have gotten dislodged and fallen over the side. So, they were on their own. Lightning continued to hit the ground up the slope a ways and the thunder was deafening!

It was starting to rain by the time they helped Sam over to the side of a big boulder so they got out the rain ponchos and Daniel managed to get Sam covered pretty good.

Brian said, "Let's get a shelter put up and have you two get inside to stay dry. Then I'll go for help." They managed to get the tarp up with the use of ropes and rocks to secure the top and sides down. It wasn't much but it should keep them relatively dry until help arrived. " I'm sure the guys gotta be up there waiting. I'll be back with help as soon as I can. I'll leave my pack here with you. Just let me get out my jacket and I'll get going. Stay down below the boulders. The flatter you two can lay, the better. The lightning will probably hit things higher up than you."

"You know, that still sounds pretty dangerous!" Daniel said.

"Yeah, I know," Brian said. "But we don't have much choice. We can't move Sam without help."

Daniel knew it was true but it didn't make him feel any better. Brian left with a wave and was soon out of sight.

In the meantime, it was starting to rain very hard so Daniel got their back packs into the shelter and tried to help Sam get comfortable. He pulled out his jeans and took off his boots in order to pull them on over his shorts. He got hers out and looked down at her ankle. He knew that once she took that boot off, her ankle would swell and there'd be no getting the boot back on.

Daniel noticed that Sam's face was pale and she had to be in a lot of pain. "Sam, I'm gonna get the med kit and give you a pain shot. Then I'm gonna get that boot off and help you put some warmer clothes on. Okay?" She didn't respond. "Sam, are you with me?" He reached over and caressed the side of her face. "I know this hurts but help will be here soon and until then, I'm gonna take good care of you." First he got out a sleeping bag and spread it out on the floor tarp. He picked up Sam and carefully laid her down on it. She cried out and he said, "I'm sorry, Sam. I'm trying not to hurt you. I'm gonna get that pain shot ready, now."

"I know, Daniel. Let's just hurry, okay?" After administering the shot, He decided to wait for it to take effect until he worked on her ankle. After a few minutes, he carefully unlaced her hiking boot. Sam's ankle was dark purple and she cried out when they got the boot off and nearly passed out. It looked really bad. He carefully wrapped it and then helped her get her jeans on and her jacket. Sam was in shock and shivering badly. He grabbed the other sleeping bag and spread it over her and then crawled in next to her and zipped it up. He put the med kit close where he could reach it, pulled her close and she settled her head on his chest and closed her eyes. The wind stopped which was good, but it was really getting cold out. He sighed and quietly said, "The thing I feared the most has come upon me." That paraphrase from the book of Job pretty much summed things up.

The lightning was starting to let up which was great but when he looked outside the tarp he noticed that it was starting to snow. Daniel was really worried about getting Sam some help. His headache was really bad and he dozed off, hoping that Brian was on his way back with help.

Brian was making good progress and he thought it wouldn't be long before he neared the top. He was making his way around a large boulder when the lightning bolt struck. He never knew what hit him.

Jack, Cam and Teal'c made it to the top without any trouble and looked around for the other team. There was no sign of them and the snow was coming down hard. Jack thought about heading back down the trail but he had no idea where to search. He tried calling Sam's cell phone but it rang and rang with no answer. He got Daniel's phone to ring but got a voice telling him to leave a message. He doubted Daniel would turn his off. Oh, this was bad!

"O'Neill, is it possible that Colonel Carter and the others turned around when the weather got bad and headed back to the trail head?" Teal'c asked.

"Maybe. This looks really bad, guys. I'm gonna call the SGC and see if we can get a search started from the bottom. We can head down to the boulder field and see if we can spot them. How much ya wanna bet that Daniel fell off the mountain?" Jack looked at them both and they could see that he was truly upset.

General Landry, leader of the SGC, agreed to get two rescue teams together. Soon one team was at the trail head and with only about 4 hours of daylight left, made their forward. The other team was flown by helicopter and dropped off in a meadow about half way up. Landry called Jack to let them know how things were progressing. After hanging up, he sat in the briefing room on level 28 thinking about all the times SG-1 had gotten themselves into trouble and managed to beat the odds and survive. Hopefully, this would also be one of those times.

He talked to a ranger and found out that they were going to have to get a scraper to clear the snow off the road up the mountain. It was too dangerous to get any kind of vehicles up before they did that. The weather forecast had been so wrong and it looked like the snow up there was going to fall for a while yet. He knew he wouldn't rest until they were all down safe.

Daniel was dreaming. He was alone in a car next to a big farm house. It was dark outside and there was a storm overhead. Lightning flashed brilliantly and the thunder was terrifyingly loud. He was on his knees on the floor in the back seat with his hands over his head. He was screaming and screaming but nobody came to his rescue.

Sam heard Daniel moaning and woke up to see him laying next to her with his eyes closed. His heart was pounding under her ear and he was obviously having a nightmare. She shook him gently and he woke with a yell. Looking around he sighed heavily and dropped his head back down on the sleeping bag.

"Daniel, that must have been a bad one. Want to talk about it?"

He looked down into her eyes and said, "In a minute, Sam. First, how are you feeling?"

Sam was holding his hand and looking up at him. "The pain isn't too bad right now. Now, come on, Daniel. What were you dreaming about? You know your secrets are safe with me."

"Yes, Sam. I know. It's just that I've never told anybody about it and it's been easier to just forget."

"Well, it looks like you can't forget, so open up. Tell me what's wrong.

"

Daniel sighed again and told her about the dream. She kept her arm around him and listened quietly.

"It's a memory from long ago that I dream about now and then. Especially if there's been a thunderstorm. I was in a station wagon. One of those big ones that seat 9 people. Light blue. I was about 9 or 10."

"Where were you when you were 9 or 10. In foster care, right?"

"Well, actually I was fostered a few times during those years. Maybe 3 times by then. I was with the McKinley's for about 6 months. Oh, and with the Walinski's for maybe a year. They were really nice but they had to move to Florida so I had to go back to the orphanage. And then there was the Patterson's. Mrs. Patterson used to lock me in the closet when I misbehaved."

"That sounds horrible, Daniel."

Sam had her head tucked under his chin and noticed his heart was starting to slow down. His respiration was slower, too. She thought if she just let him talk, he might feel better.

"I got over it," he said. "Mrs. Patterson's mother lived out in the country on a farm and every time she and Mr. Patterson got into a fight, she would pile us into the car and we would go there. She made me sit in the far back seat but I didn't mind. The seat faced backwards and I liked looking at the cars behind us."

He stopped talking and sighed. Sam had her arm around his right shoulder and was gently rubbing back. "Tell me, Daniel."

He took a deep breath and said, "We had gone to the farm and parked behind the house. It was dark and windy and a storm was coming. When we got there the rain was pouring down in sheets. Everyone jumped out of the car and ran around the house to the back door. I had to climb over the seat to get to the door but by the time I made it over the seat, the car door was slammed shut. I remember the lightning was striking really close and it hit a tree over by the barn. I heard it split the tree and the flash blinded me for a bit. I remember I dove for the floor and covered my head. Oh Sam, I was screaming! I was alone in that car and screaming and screaming!" She pulled him close and told him he was safe. The storm was gone. They would be found soon.

"Since then, I've always been afraid of storms. Terrified, actually. I break out in a sweat and if I can, I get to the SGC. You can't hear the thunder when you're in my lab. If I can't and I'm at home, I close my eyes and put on some music in my headphones really loud to block out the noise."

"What happened with the Patterson's? Did someone come out and get you."

"Yeah, Tommy, the oldest, came and got me. Mrs. Patterson said that she thought I had come in with the others. I was always tucked into a corner somewhere with a book, so she didn't notice. I went back to the orphanage soon after that."

"Now I know why you looked so scared when you saw the storm coming, Daniel. That must have been awful. You've had so much trauma in your life. I'm impressed that you do so well."

He didn't say anything but shuddered and drew in another deep breath. Pretty soon, he was breathing slowly and she knew he was asleep. Resting her head against his chest, she wondered about him. He's so strong but he still had that hurt little boy inside. All his adversities made him who he is today, but it had to have been hard. Before she fell back to sleep, she vowed she was going to try to be a better friend to this gentle man.

Daniel woke up and took in his surroundings. 'Where in the world is Brian? He should have been back hours ago. Something must have happened to him or he would be here by now.'

He felt so helpless. He wanted to do something! Anything! He wondered if they would have to spend the night on the mountain. It was late afternoon and they would have to get help soon or they would be stuck up here overnight. He noticed they'd gotten a little more snow but the storm seemed to be slowing down a bit.

Sam woke up and looked around. Daniel hugged her and asked how she was feeling.

"The pain killer is wearing off, Daniel. I can feel my pulse throbbing in my foot. I'm warm but I'm hungry."

He looked at his watch and saw that it was almost 5 o'clock. It was time so he gave Sam another shot of pain killer and then got out a meal bar for her to eat. He made sure she took some Tylenol, too, to keep down the slight fever she had. They still had a couple more meal bars, 3 candy bars and another full canteen that Brian left, so at least they wouldn't starve or dehydrate any time soon. His headache was still pretty bad so he took some Tylenol. He took a peek outside and noticed it had stopped snowing and the sky was clearing. That meant it was going to get really cold soon.

Sam looked at Daniel. He was being such a trooper, taking good care of her. Usually, it's the other way around and he was the one hurt. Unfortunately, this time it was her turn. They were warm enough in the down bags and after they ate, they talked for a few minutes.

Soon, she was having a hard time concentrating and staying awake. Daniel pulled her close again. He was pretty tired himself. He thought he was in shape before the climb but he was still a little out of breath. Well, that could be the altitude, he guessed. His headache was still thumping and his stomach still felt upset but not as bad as before. Soon, they were both asleep again in their warm nest.

Jack and the guys headed down into the boulder field and kept their eyes open for a sign of the other team. About a half hour down, they saw something that made Jack's blood run cold. Brian Trautman was laying next to a boulder in the snow and he wasn't moving. Teal'c ran ahead and checked for a pulse but it was too late. He looked back at Jack and shook his head, 'no.'

"Okay, lets cover him with a tarp and keep going," Jack said. They didn't have time to take Brian's body back up to the top. The fact that Sam and Daniel weren't with him was reason enough to hurry on.

The SGC team that was flown in by helicopter was nearing the tree line. They radioed the other team and confirmed that Colonel Carter, Major Trautman and Dr. Jackson hadn't been found so they kept going up. As they started to approach the boulder field, they noticed Jack and his team were coming around a large boulder about 50 yards up. They saw Jack approach what looked like a tent so they picked up the pace to get there with the medical supplies. Dusk was coming on so they had to hurry.

Jack slowly approached the makeshift tent. He was afraid that he would find Sam and Daniel both dead. He pushed the snow back and looked inside. He could see a dark shape that looked to be a sleeping bag, so he pulled back the corner of the bag and looked in. There was Daniel and Sam huddled together. He and reached in to check Daniel's pulse and found it slow and steady. He was just sleeping, thank God!

Daniel slowly woke up and looked around when he felt Jack's fingers on his arm. Jack then reached over to check Sam.

"Sam broke her ankle, Jack. I gave her a pain shot. I'm not sure she'll wake up for a while." But just as Daniel said that, she started to move as if she was indeed waking up.

"Okay, Daniel, what happened? Why are you here under these tarps?" Jack reached over and felt Sam's forehead and noticed that she had a fever.

"Didn't Brian tell you?" Daniel was confused. "Brian should have met up with you hours ago."

"Brian's dead, Daniel. We found him on the trail up a ways. It looked like he'd been struck by lightning."

Daniel was speechless. That sure explained things. Poor Brian! Man! That sucked! Daniel looked away for a moment and then turned back to Jack.

"Jack, there wasn't a short cut. It turned out to be a lot longer than Brian thought. We stopped and we were standing over there by the edge of the field when the ground gave way and Sam fell over the side. Brian and I got her back up but I think she's got a broken ankle. He said he'd go ahead and get help".

The rescue team had arrived by this time and were checking Sam over. She opened her eyes and looked around at all the men standing around her holding their flashlights and said, "Hey guys." She was very dizzy so she laid back on the sleeping bag and closed her eyes.

"Sam, take it easy." The medic was checking her pulse. "Daniel, what time was it when you gave her the last shot? I need to know how soon it will be safe to give her another one."

"About 5 o'clock. It's not a compound fracture but I'm pretty sure it's broke. We took her boots off so that we could get some long pants on her and I wrapped it, but I'm sure it looks pretty bad."

The medic unzipped the sleeping bag on Sam's side and unwrapped her ankle. It was swollen at least twice it's size and was dark purple from the bruising. It was just after 7 and the sun was going to go down in a few minutes. "It's gonna start getting really dark here in about 20 minutes or so, so we better hurry and get off this mountain."

His radio crackled and a voice asked him for a progress report. "We found them. Colonel Carter's ankle is broken but Dr. Jackson looks okay. What's the condition of the road? Out."

"The road crew just radioed that they made it to the top. Two ambulances followed them up so head up the trail and meet them in the parking lot. I'll radio the other team and have them head down. Out."

"Ten four. Out"

Jack and the guys stood back as the medics put together a portable stretcher and carefully lifted Sam onto it. After starting an IV and covering her, they strapped her in and slowly started the hike across the boulder field. They planned on getting Brian's body on the way up.

Jack and some of the medic's had strong flashlights so with their help Daniel started packing up all the gear that he'd gotten out when they made their shelter. He stood up and noticed his three friends watching him. He could see his breath and was glad they got there in time.

Jack approached Daniel, put his right arm around his shoulder and with a slight shake said,"You did good, Daniel. Sam's gonna be fine and you kept her safe and warm. I'm proud of you."

Daniel blushed and looked away. "Hey, I've seen enough work done on me in emergency situations - I should know exactly what to do."

"You should be a Doctor, Doctor," said Cam, grinning and offering to shake Daniel's hand.

"Indeed," came the deep response from Teal'c.

Daniel returned the handshake. They all got the gear together and turned to head up the trail with the help of the flashlights. It was dark by the time they got all the way up, but an ambulance driver had his headlights pointed toward the trail, so there was plenty of light coming over the top to see by. They stowed the gear in Daniel's Jeep and Jack looked at Daniel and said, "Keys."

"Jack, I can drive. I've been driving since I was 16."

"Very funny. You're going down in the other ambulance. They want to check you out so go on and get over there."

"But..."

"Daniel, that's an order. You've been up here in this lousy weather all afternoon and who knows what condition you're in? Go on and quit arguing with me."

"Jackson," Cam called, "Wait up. I want to ride down with you. As your CO, I want to make sure you're all right."

One of the medics had approached and Daniel and Cam turned toward him to be escorted to the vehicle. They got Daniel inside and on the gurney while Cam got in the passenger seat in the front. Jack watched as the doors were closed and it pulled out following the other ambulance. He stood there holding Danny's keys and had a thought. He might be a general but Cam was Daniel's CO and Jack had stepped on Cam's toes by ordering Daniel to go. He was going to have to eat some humble pie and apologize to Cam about it.

The three men and the other SGC team piled into Daniel's Jeep and Jack carefully and quietly drove down the mountain. It was a bit scary without street lights but a full moon on the horizon helped a lot until they got into the trees. Then they just had to be careful and soon they were at the trail head.

Dr. Warner said that Daniel was dehydrated but otherwise uninjured, so he needed to spend the night hooked up to an IV, but he would be able to go home first thing in the morning. Sam was in the bed next to him with her a cast up to her knee. She was awake, sitting up a bit and watching Daniel.

"Daniel, I don't know what to say. You're my hero, for one. I can't thank you enough." A tear escaped and ran down one cheek.

Daniel hopped off the side of his bed and climbed up to sit on the side of Sam's bed, careful not to disturb her leg. He wiped the tear away and held her hand.

"Hey, it's my turn to rescue you for a change. You've sure done it enough times for me," Daniel mused.

She squeezed his hand and tried to stop crying.

"Sam, you've had a really tough time these last few weeks." Daniel handed her a tissue. "Hell, the last year. Janet's gone. Your dad died a few weeks ago. And, you broke off your engagement with Pete. Would you like to talk about it?"

Sam looked at him and smiled. "Not yet. Not here. But soon. I promise that soon I'll find you and tell you everything that's been going on in my head."

"Okay, that's fair," Daniel said. "You look pretty tired. Got room for me there next to you?" She smiled and patted the spot at her side. He turned around and stretched out on his side holding her hand and watched her till she fell asleep. Then, he quietly climbed off and went over to his own bed and laid down. He sighed after he got under the covers and was soon asleep.

Jack had watched the exchange and thought about what he'd just seen. He knew they weren't romantically involved - it was more like a brother/sister thing. But he was touched at how tender Daniel was with Sam and how he knew just the right things to say. He turned and headed back towards the elevator just as Teal'c and Cam came down the hall toward the infirmary. They stopped and anxiously asked about Daniel and Sam. He told them they were asleep so be quiet when they looked in on them.

"Cam, can we talk?" Jack asked.

"Yes, sir."

Jack said to Teal'c, "Go ahead T. I won't keep Colonel Mitchell more than a few minutes."

Teal'c nodded and then turned and headed his way down the hall to see to Daniel and Sam.

"Cam, I owe you an apology. I'm not good at this so I'll just say it. I insulted your command tonight when I ordered Daniel to the ambulance. That's not my job and I have to say I'm sorry."

Cam stared at Jack for a minute and then said, "Sir, I figured you were doing it as a friend and not as his commanding officer. I never gave it a thought."

"Well, that's very kind of you to say that, but you're his CO now and I need to respect that. And I will from now on. Good night Colonel."

"Good night, sir. Thank you sir." Cam watched General O'Neill turn and leave. 'Well,' he thought to himself, 'that was definitely a hand off. I've got the ball now and I better play the game right."

Jack headed for the elevators that would eventually take him to the surface. It was time to go. He wasn't part of SG-1 anymore but he felt they would be okay without him. Landry had things under control and it was time to move on and embrace his own work. He had years of really good memories and he felt that General Landry was doing a great job leading the SGC. Yep, time to go home. To Washington.

**THE END**


End file.
